6 Stunning Easter Cookie Decorating Ideas You Need to Try This Weekend
6 Stunning Easter Cookie Decorating Ideas You Need to Try This Weekend
Step up your sugar cookies this Easter.
Silky and shiny with a touch of trendy iridescence, these cookies are an elegant update to seasonal pastels. This spring, we’ve been adding a little sparkle to our Easter decor through crafts like Easter egg tree centerpieces and unicorn Easter baskets. But why stop there? Food trends like this Easter dessert board prove food can be a showstopper, too.
It’s easy to upgrade your usual sugar cookie recipe for an ornate Easter treat by whipping up these citrus sugar cookie eggs. Try frosting the cookies with royal icing in pastel hues perfect for spring. Decorate with edible flowers, candy jewels, gold leaf flakes, and even glitter. Since we’re all celebrating Easter a little differently this year, there’s no better time to get creative with your baking.
Carson Downing
Try these sweet decorating tricks to make your most decadent (and delicious) cookies yet.
Trims and Appliqués
To attach edible wafer or paper flowers, such as Wilton Pastel Flowers ($8, Michaels), ice your cookie in a bright frosting and while the icing is wet, attach the accessories. Painted gum paste blossoms or small candies (we like the ones in the Wilton Rose Sprinkle Mix, $2, Joann) make adorable cookie decorations too.
Layered Look
This multi-color look is easy to achieve. First, ice all your cookies with white royal icing and let the icing set. Then mix 1/8 tsp. of gel paste food coloring, such as 4-Count Gel Food Coloring, $3, Target, with 2 tsp. vodka (the alcohol evaporates quickly without dissolving the icing). Use a clean paintbrush to “paint” the mixture on to the cookies, using an edible marker (such as FoodWriter Edible Markers, $4, Michaels) to add details.
More Trims and Appliqués
If one cookie isn't enough, use miniature cookie cutters to cut small flowers from the dough and bake them alongside the egg-shaped cookies. Use un-thinned icing in a pastry bag (such as Disposable Decorating Bags, $5, Michaels) to decorate and attach these miniature flowers to the large egg cutouts, then pipe on additional accents as desired.
Golden Glitz
These gold leaf cookies will add a bit of sparkle to your Easter cookie tray. To add the accents, use edible gold leaf, such as Edible Gold Flakes, $14, Etsy. Ice your cookies and let the icing partially set (about 1 hour), then transfer the gold flakes. Gold leaf is tricky to handle due to static, so we recommend using a clean, dry paintbrush rather than handling the flakes with your fingers.
Pearlescent Shimmer
These classy pearl accents look almost too good to eat, but you can munch on these edible pearls (we used Wilton Sugar Pearls, $8, Michaels). While the iced cookies are still wet, attach the small pearl nonpareils. When the icing and pearl sprinkles are set, use a clean paintbrush to apply pearlized luster dust, such as Pearl Dust, $5, Michaels, over tops; tap off excess.
Bejeweled and Bedazzled
Create a totally decked out Easter egg by attaching candy gems, such as Assorted Edible Jewels, from $16, Etsy, to a cookie covered in sparkles. While the iced cookies are still wet, sprinkle on edible metallic glitter. Using un-thinned icing in a pastry bag, attach candy gems or pipe on geometric designs.
